User blog:KnightReturns422/My Thoughts after Watching the Bad Batch Arc
The Bad Batch arc was in my opinion one of the best arcs in the Clone Wars, due mainly Because it featured the return of trooper Echo and Rex again having a substantial role in this storyline. The Bad Batch Arc, as all Star Wars fans should know, was one of the unfinished episodes that never made it to TV due to the show's cancellation. However, Fiolini has promised that these episodes would make it out somehow. He was as good as his word: we now have a further storyline of Maul, the Utapau arc involving Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi and the arc of which I shall elaborate. The opening battle, like all others, was superb, with blaster fire and machines dominating the area. It was refreshing to see Mace Windu on the front lines again, along with Anakin, Obi-Wan and clone trooper Jesse, whose armor customisation has underwent quite a change, outfitted with a Kama and pauldron (come to think of it, after examining it closely, was he made an ARC trooper?) To be brief, the Republic's position on Anaxes was precarious at best, and if toppled could lose the planet altogether. Through the use of an algorithm created by Captain Rex, the Separatists had an unshakable advantage over the Republic, accurately predicting their every strategy. To find a way to offset this advantage, Rex and Cody gather a team to infiltrate the cyber station where the algorithm was being transmitted. This now moves to introduction of Squad 99, collectively known as the "Bad Batch". When seeing them for the first time, I was rather dubious if they were effective to perform this task as Cody mentioned their "unorthodox" methods, but this was later put to rest when they were pressed into action. The way one of them lifted a whole gunship to rescue Cody was remarkable. Furthermore, the Bad Batch preferred loud and strong action, as opposed to stealth. Naturally, the squad showed some animosity towards the "regs"--a trait shared among clone commandos. The second part only increased my admiration. Tracing the algorithm to Skako Minor, we are now told that Echo was alive and held in a facility. This was the moment I had anticipated--that at last, we were going to see the trooper who supposedly "died" on Lola Sayu two years before. This episode also shows the emotions Rex felt, being more determined to rescue Echo. While Anakin did accompany them, his role was minimal as it was primarily Rex who led this mission, being the central character in this episode. Breaking into the facility, they found Echo, and unsurprisingly, he resembled mostly of a cybernetic. Why wasn't I horrified when I saw Echo? Well, the explosion he was caught in during the escape from the Citadel wasn't a small one. When the concept art of his after state was revealed, it was with no doubt that he had become a "machine more than man". Was his cybernetic state suppose to echo (no pun intended) the fact that many Star Wars characters had to undergo cybernetic treatments? From what I could see, Echo is similar to Darth Maul, albeit the right interface hand. I have no doubt the Separatists are behind Echo's monstrous transformation, and it was likely the intention of the writers to show how far they would go to win an unparallel advantage. To be honest, I was expecting Echo to suffer from amnesia--surely the explosion would have had an impact on his head. Yet, he recognised Rex when he was freed. Into the final episode (I shall skip the third as there wasn't any interest to point at), Echo demonstrates his new skills by sending out false orders. Though the Bad Batch played a pivotal role, it is actually Anakin who takes the lead. Once again, the writers have played out Anakin's anger when he stormed the bridge and confronted Admiral Trench. His anger was further fuelled when he sliced off Trench's right cybernetics and reached a boiling point when he killed him. All this to set the stage for the eventual fall of the young Jedi Knight. I probably need not tell you who emerged victorious, but after seeing Echo surviving through this ordeal, I wonder if Fiolni or the writers have anything more planned for him and the Bad Batch. To conclude, I have nothing but praise for the arc, and seeing an imprisoned clone back in action just brings a smile to my face. The Bad Batch Characters Hunter--leader of the Bad Batch. It is obvious he is the conscious member of the group, maintaining control among his men. He at least follows orders, yet even he doesn't like stealth. Crosshair--From what I could gather, he's very sly, cynical and derisive. He appears to look at all possibilities such as when he suggested the possibility of Echo becoming a turncoat, resulting in a punch from Rex. Tech--as his name suggests, a genius with technology. Good with sniping. He reminds me of Fixer, though not exactly a go by the book person. Wrecker--well, what I can say? He's a madman, crazy about trashing some droids and big explosions. He often uses his brute strength to advantage. My favorite moment when he used it? He smashed through dozens of droids while on the flagship--way cool. It seems to me that he is a mixture between Sev and Scorch. He also seems to be protective of his squad, such as when he held Jesse by the neck, and even Captain Rex when he delivered a blow to Crosshair. Questions to Ponder 1. How did the Separatists manage to bypass the heavy defences surrounding Anaxes? (I am assuming the algorithm played a role in this) 2. What was the difference between the Bad Batch clones and the clone commandos? (Apart from their Mandalorian influence). Why weren't the regular commandos selected for this type of mission? Category:Blog posts